1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling power. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for distributing power or electricity corresponding to the required power demand from distributed power supply apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
General power systems are operated so that the supply power may be adjusted to correspond to the power demand. For this purpose, various power supply control techniques, such as power demand forecasting, economic load dispatch and automatic load dispatching control, have been designed and used.
Power supply systems, also known as generators, are generally built on a large scale in consideration of economies of scale, and the reliability and cost savings are considered as a primary operating criteria. In recent years, however, the demand for power has surged and the type of power load has significantly changed from linear loads, which are proportional to frequency, to nonlinear loads such as digital devices. In addition, it is difficult to build a typical large-scale power generation system due to concerns such as site selection and investment risk. Owing to these situations, interest in the role of the demand side has increased when considering matching the demand and supply of power and operating the power systems reliably.
The general demand-side power supply resources include, for example, renewable energy resources and demand response resources which can be acquired through power storage apparatuses and electric cars. These demand response resources may be acquired through the apparatuses that can adjust power usage, such as smart appliances. The renewable energy resources refer to solar or wind power generation apparatuses which are installed on a small scale at homes or local areas. The power storage apparatus refers to an apparatus that can store power in advance and supply the stored power if necessary, such as a battery. The electric car is similar to the power storage apparatus in the principle of operation since it basically uses a battery, but the electric car is distinguishable from the power storage apparatus installed in a fixed position since it additionally has mobility. Apparatuses that can provide these demand-side power supply resources may match the demand and supply of power in the power system in a manner of reducing the power usage if the power system lacks available supply power, and increasing the power usage if the power is oversupplied from the power system.
For example, if the units of the demand-side power supply resources are assumed to be a home or a small area, they are characterized by a large number, diversity, small scale, dispersion and the like. These characteristics make it difficult to utilize the demand-side power supply resources. More specifically, the existing large-scale power generation systems can directly control generators using various power supply control techniques. However, it is difficult for the demand-side power supply resources to apply the existing power supply control techniques since a plurality of various resources are distributed on a small scale. In addition, direct control by a single object is practically impossible. Therefore, there is a need for useful measures that can practically make application of the demand-side power supply resources possible, by addressing control problems caused by the characteristics of the demand-side power supply resources, such as the large number, diversity, small scale, and dispersion.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.